Went 20 miles north here on Georgian bay for the weekend. Came home yesterday, it was blowing 21 kts and gusting to 29. Honest steep 5s and the odd six footer tapering to 4s on the way home. Wife wasnt thrilled and dog even less so, but boat handled admirably. 3400 rpm and full tab and it was even enjoyable.
Finally got to properly test the seafarer
- Thread starter Hutchy
- Start date
efx
Well-Known Member
that is a serious sea state for a seafarer. For a 22' im sure handled it well. great hull by the way.
Ya, my limit is being able to see the horizon in the troughs. Was a strong wind warning issued for the north channel, forty miles North of where I was. The biggest and steepest was coming out of an inlet, but after that got turned and ran parallel to them making it not so bad. I found it got a bit squirrelly running with the waves and less tab helped. Needed a bit more power to climb the waves when running with them also. Biggest test was my wife. Never been in big stuff before. Aside from work boats my experience has been with a 36 cigarette, our family boat years ago. Was impressed with how the Grady handled the longer term driving in the ups and downs. Despite normally going much faster, you did not sit in the cigarette. Although much slower, I never was out of my seat in the Grady. At the end was running in some threes and was up to 37 mph or so. Loving that bow spray!
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I was in the Keys and was blowing 15-20 knots most of the time and the embryo oh Hanna past through and we had squalls of 40 knots. I was not in the ocean. on that day. I have been in a lot of stuff in my seafarer over the years from the Keys, to the Bahamas to coming back from the Dry Tortugas. every time I always felt the boat was capable and we found the sweet spot. once you get into a rhythm of the sea you can dial the ride in and get in the sweet spot.
There is indeed a sweet spot. Heading directly into the biggest and steepest of the waves on Sunday was not it. Pretty slow going at that point. Once turned and not directly against them was much better.
I was down in the Keys last winter, but did not have the Grady down there. Brought a much smaller boat. In two years planning on bringing it down for three weeks. I think the seafarer would be a great boat down there.
The real key to the boat and I would suggest the SeaV2 design lies in the use of trim tabs. We had those 15-20 knot winds creating short steep 2-3s with a 4-5 second period and when I dropped those tabs and got it dialed in could comfortably run Hawk Channel around 23-24 without pounding in a head sea and could go a little faster in a following sea. it's all about the tabs.
nice. yes, I wasn't pushing it, but there was little pounding with the tabs.. The key I think obviously is getting the front down to really part those short waves and bringing the wave contact point further forward where the hull is sharper.
I want to slide my fuel tank further forward, and am thinking that will further add to the flattening out what is already a great flat riding boat.
As I work at a Grady dealer I have had many opportunities to hang out with Eric Sorensen discussing hull shape and walked around boat shows with him while he pointed out which boats would pound and which would not. If you want to feel like a neophyte when it comes to nautical design, hang out with that guy.
Glad to hear your boat handles the Keys well. I am pretty excited to get down there and chase some fish.
so, what does he say about the 228?
it's a long story,but I use to run a 4 blade prop. I got it from the propgods and it was a power tech. I repowered in 17 and moved it over to the new motor. the new motor is stolen and my insurance bought me a new motor and that one came with the shift dampening hub . it's a Yamaha 3 blade. I have had some maintenance tickets and fortunately I can do the work but I dropped some coin this spring on all sorts of things.
I loved the 4 blade prop and the stern lift it provided. next spring I will buy another. I bring up the prop because the 4 blade I thought really improved low speed handling, following sea handling and reverse too. it's worth$500 or what ever to go to a 4 blade prop on the 228.
I just finished washing the boat, stowing stuff and putting her in the boat shed . I wish I was still in the Keys and not at my kitchen table.
I called prop gods and asked about going to a four when I got my f250. He said my numbers in terms of slip and performance were fine and not to worry about it. Good to hear you liked your prop. I had a four blade on a 21 century I had and liked it. Still may get one.
Eric's view on the seafarer? He Is a big Grady fan, which is kind of a biased opinion since he is our Grady rep. He thinks good things of most Raymond hunt designed boats and Grady's in general are no exception.
Got mine all washed off and back in it's shed for a while too. Had it in the water for a few weeks, but not using it this weekend, so time to pull it. The list of things I want to do to it is long. Gonna work on it for probably two solid weeks this winter.
Eric's view on the seafarer? He Is a big Grady fan, which is kind of a biased opinion since he is our Grady rep. He thinks good things of most Raymond hunt designed boats and Grady's in general are no exception.
Got mine all washed off and back in it's shed for a while too. Had it in the water for a few weeks, but not using it this weekend, so time to pull it. The list of things I want to do to it is long. Gonna work on it for probably two solid weeks this winter.
Bird Blaster
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- Aug 26, 2019
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- Lake Superior - Northern Ontario
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- Gulfstream
Great report on the conditions that the 228 took on!
Looking at a 228/258/232 and I worry about the 228 being on the smaller side in Lake Superior.... you put the 228 through a pretty impressive test and you sound very pleased!
Looking at a 228/258/232 and I worry about the 228 being on the smaller side in Lake Superior.... you put the 228 through a pretty impressive test and you sound very pleased!
Superior is pretty rough and open! We have a lot of islands here on Georgian Bay, which means that the rough spots are not huge wide expanses, but my run was about 15 miles on the weekend. Really had no choice, had to work in the morning!
I have not boated on superior but the Fitzgerald sank there for a reason. I think I would get the biggest you can afford up there for a bit more peace of mind.
Bird Blaster
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- Joined
- Aug 26, 2019
- Messages
- 143
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- 52
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- 42
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- Lake Superior - Northern Ontario
- Model
- Gulfstream
Yeah superior is a different beast for sure.
I'm definitely leaning towards 258 or 232 but I am really pleased to hear about your 228 experience.
I'm definitely leaning towards 258 or 232 but I am really pleased to hear about your 228 experience.
I was going to film it a bit, but my wife was already cursing me out as her first rough water experience was a bit more than she expected, and I was a bit preoccupied.